Leadership Lessons from M.S. Dhoni

The story of Mahendra Singh Dhoni is nothing short of a fairy-tale.

It's about an ordirnary man who went on to do extraordinary things owing to his sheer grit and “intelligent” daredevilry. And, as they say that fortune favours the brave, luck, too has been on his side.

You don't need to be a cricket fan to take stock of his leadership skills. True, that Team India lost humiliatingly in the test and one-day series against England but this does not place his leadership skills under scrutiny. His rare quality of extracting benefits from criticism had made India win matches and he himself won the hearts of millions of people. Managers and entrepreneurs can learn so much from him and then apply it to their real life situations.

Here's a rundown of MS Dhoni's leadership style:

On Leading from the Front

Dhoni is one those few captains in sports who have always led from the front, more so, in a situation of crisis. Dhoni has proved to be a leader who leads by example. The man has depicted remarkable equilibrium in many over-heated situations. His teammates are often heard saying that he knows how to remain cool and how to inspire others to remain so. Even senior players like Sachin and Dravid are all praise for him. During Sourav ganguly's farewell test match, he asked him to captain the team for some time. This was a great gesture which established Dhoni's leadership and humane qualities.

Entrepreneurs and managers can learn a lot from the 'Captain Cool' of the Indian cricket team. It's very important for them to lead by setting examples.

On Motivation

When it comes to motivation, Dhoni is the best captain India has ever produced. This behaviour was depicted very well by him during the semi-final match against Pakistan in the recently concluded World Cup. Amidst all the frenzy and hoopla which was built around the big game and the kind of pressure the players were under, even a small mistake could have cost them the match and the Cup. Dhoni motivated them and encouraged them to play naturally but give their 100% at the same time. And, we all know the result of the game.

Dhoni motivates his team well during all cricketing sessions. Entrepreneurs and managers too need to keep the morale of their employees high, not just during a crisis situation but in all their day-to-day activities.

On Seeing What Others Miss and Taking Risks

Whether it is tampering with the batting order or choosing the bowlers, many of Dhoni's decisions have been under scrutiny. But on most occasions, his spot decisions have paid-off very well. Dhoni uses his best discretion to weigh a situation real time. This is not to encourage entrepreneurs and managers to take random risks but at the same time they need to read between the lines and see what others may have missed. A manager/entrepreneur can't afford to be not daring.

On Accepting Mistakes

There have been instances when his decisions have backfired. Dhoni has always been graceful enough to accept his follies and doesn't pass the buck to his other teammates. This has helped to build him the required trust within the team and mutual trust betters the performance. Like cricket, running a business too is a team effort. Mutual trust between the team members is of paramount importance and it's the leader's responsibility to build that.

On Criticism

Overall, Dhoni has been lucky enough to have drawn considerably less flak as compared to other Indian cricket captains. But he does have a fair share of criticism. Many times, his decisions like shuffling the batting order abruptly or giving the over to someone unexpectedly. Mostly, his decisions pay off well and he is not let down by them. It's actually the critics who are made to eat the humble pie. If in case, his decisions boomerang, he is humble enough to candidly admit his mistakes. His handling of criticism is in great sync with his persona of 'Captain Cool.'

Entrepreneurs and managers are bound to attract criticism throughout their endeavours. Learning from Dhoni, they should not be deterred unnecessarily and let criticism make them go off the track. Criticism, in fact, can be healthy, if taken in the right way and right spirit.

Some Inspirational Quotes by Dhoni

“I never predict what will happen in cricket. We believe in each other and we believe in the process.”

“We are not thinking about what may happen if we achieve or what may happen if we don't succeed because those two things are beyond our control.

“We take each game in the right frame of mind”